The New England Patriots kick off their preseason on Thursday. Here are the guys you should be paying attention to when watching the game.
Football is back! On Thursday we will finally get to see the New England Patriots play a game at Gillette Stadium.
Preseason games may be boring to some, but these players are fighting to show that they belong on the final roster.
The Patriots have some problem areas on their roster so Thursday will be fans first chance to see New England’s plan to fix these issues.
So here are 5 players you should watch on Thursday night.
Riley McCarron
Riley McCarron has really come out of nowhere and is looking to compete for some playing time.
McCarron spent 4 years at Iowa. His senior year was his breakout season as McCarron had 42 catches for 517 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Standing at 5’9″ McCarron will look to make an impact as a slot receiver. With Julian Edelman out for the first 4 games of the season, McCarron definitely has an opportunity to get some playing time.
On Thursday it will be interesting to see how crisp McCarron’s routes are, and who he plays with. If he gets a chance with the first team he could build some chemistry with Tom Brady that could catapult him up the Patriots depth chart.
Jacob Hollister
Another wideout you should pay attention to is Jacob Hollister. Hollister was primarily used for his special team’s skills last season. This year looks to be different.
In Hollister’s rookie season he only had 4 catches for 42 yards. He was rarely used on the offense.
This season Hollister has been great in camp. He has become a better pass catcher and has an opportunity to break into the Patriots offense.
I was intrigued to see Jeff Howe’s thoughts on what will happen in the Patriots first four games.
It appears that the Patriots are going to take a chance on a young player. I thought that we may now see Corrdarrelle Patterson as the No.3 receiver but that doesn’t look to be the case.
There looks to be a plan to make Hollister a big part of the Patriots offense. Hopefully, he will be able to get off on the right foot Thursday night.
J.C. Jackson
J.C. Jackson has come out of nowhere and is looking to be a major part of the New England Patriots secondary. Jackson was signed as an undrafted free agent and has something to prove to all the teams who passed on him.
More from New England Patriots
- Former Patriot Stevan Ridley Put Kevin Hart in a Wheelchair
- 3 Patriots Who Can Clinch a Roster Spot in Final Preseason Game
- Patriots Get Win Over Division Rivals Before Season Even Begins
- New Massachusetts Sportsbook Promos: $450 Bonus to Bet on Your Patriots at Caesars + DraftKings
- Ezekiel Elliott Reveals 3 Reasons Why He Signed With Patriots
Jackson had a solid junior year as he had 40 tackles, 3 interceptions, and a fumble recovery. The corner decided to leave school early, but the risk didn’t pay off as he went undrafted (or did it).
We all remember how poorly the Patriots secondary played the last time we saw them. They are one of the Patriots weak links entering the season.
Stephon Gilmore is the clear No.1 corner, but after that, it is going to be a battle.
Jackson has an opportunity to get some serious playing time. It will be interesting to see if he can keep up with opposing receivers, and how well he is in coverage.
The Patriots may make another undrafted rookie the backbone of their secondary.
Dont’a Hightower
Dont’a Hightower only played 5 games last season. Hopefully, he will play in a lot more this year.
Hightower will look to be as dominant as ever even though he is coming off a brutal torn pectoral injury that ended his season in 2017.
Dont’a plays a major role in the Patriots defense. He is the quarterback and one of the Patriots best pass rushers. You will always see Hightower barking out orders, and aligning players in the perfect position.
With Hightower back, I think that the Patriots could have a top defense. Quarterbacks could dread going up against the New England pass rush.
On Thursday I’ll be looking to see how Hightower adjusts since he hasn’t played in a game in a little less than a year. Hopefully, he is still the same tenacious pass rusher that makes things difficult for opposing offenses.
If the Patriots defense wants to be successful they are going to need Hightower to perform well.
Braxton Berrios
Back to the receivers we go. Since the Patriots are struggling at the position you are going to want to pay attention to a lot of players.
Braxton Berrios looked to be the obvious replacement for Julian Edelman while he was suspended. They are basically carbon copy’s of one another, but Berrios hasn’t had the best training camp. While Riley McCarron and Jake Hollister have been excelling, Berrios has been stagnant.
On Thursday Berrios will have a chance to change the narrative. One great game could make Tom Brady and Bill Belichick fall in love with the wideout.
I hope to see Berrios get some first-team reps so we can see how he works with Brady. It will also be interesting to see how Berrios does returning punts. If he doesn’t work out as a wide receiver you at least hope he can be a good returner.
Berrios seemed to be a great fit for the New England Patriots offense. Hopefully, he will prove that on Thursday night.
Julian Edelman
Julian Edelman will miss the first four games of the regular season, but he can still play in the preseason.
Edelman missed all of last season after suffering a torn ACL. Edelman is the Patriots best receiver. Whenever Tom Brady needs to complete a pass he throws the ball to Edelman.
All training camp, eyes have been on Edelman. People want to see if he can make the same cuts and still be the same receiver he was before the injury.
It seems like Edelman still has some work to do on his road to a full recovery.
"“So you’re always trying to go out and get better and I have to do a lot better. I feel like I got to get my legs under me a lot more. I don’t have my camp legs, I don’t have football legs and it’s evident out there. You get tired, you create bad habits, you don’t run your routes right and you get yelled at in meetings for it. I’m expecting to do that because I got to pick it up. I wasn’t as good as I want to be today and feeling that’s because I’m not in the best shape right now.”"
On Thursday night fans will get to see how Edelman performs in an actual game. Hopefully, Edelman is overexaggerating and will be ready to return when week 5 arrives.
Jason McCourty
Jason McCourty is happy to be with his twin brother. Hopefully, he will be as good as him as well.
When McCourty was acquired by the Patriots, I expected him to be the No.2 corner. Eric Rowe was awful last season and McCourty is a solid corner, but he hasn’t become the runaway favorite. Early on in OTA’s McCourty didn’t get a bunch of reps.
Now McCourty can go out and prove he is the right man for the job. If he could get a couple picks it would be big for him.
I expect McCourty to play a lot simply because he is in an important battle. Even though he is a 9-year veteran he isn’t a guarantee to get a ton of playing time.
If McCourty stumbles in the preseason he could find himself at the bottom of the New England Patriots depth chart, or even worse off the roster completely.
Isaiah Wynn
The New England Patriots need to find a new left tackle. They addressed this need in the draft by picking offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn.
Wynn is undersized and may not be ready for the NFL. With Tom Brady not getting any younger I don’t want his blindside to be a point of concern.
In his first preseason game, Wynn will be tasked with a tough job, protecting Brian Hoyer. Trent Brown looks like he is running away with the job. He is a much bigger lineman and has more experience. Wynn would have to have an amazing preseason to win the job.
The preseason gives Wynn a chance to prove he was worth being drafted in the first round. Even if he doesn’t play a lot in the regular season, Wynn could use this year as a developmental year. A year where he learns what he needs to do to be a solid NFL player.
Jeremy Hill
With all the hype about Sony Michel, Jeremy Hill has been forgotten about. Hill will be looking to prove that he deserves some carries when the regular season arrives.
Hill signed with the New England Patriots in the offseason. Before the Patriots drafted Michel, it looked like Hill could get some serious playing time. Now it seems like that is rather improbable.
After an amazing rookie season, Hill has struggled to maintain a high level of play. Last season he only played in 7 games and only had 116 yards.
Hill now has a chance to revitalize his career. This preseason will be very important for him.
I think Hill will get a lot of playing time on Thursday. It appears that Hill and Mike Gillislee are competing for a roster spot. With a solid performance, Hill could gain some ground on Gillislee.
Jeremy Hill was an intriguing signing by the Patriots. Hopefully, he can pay some dividends early on.
Deatrich Wise Jr.
Deatrich Wise Jr. had an explosive rookie season. He became a big-time pass rusher and a big part of the New England Patriots defense.
Wise had 5 sacks in his first season in the NFL and will look to continue to be a menace on defense.
The Patriots signed Adrian Clayborn in the offseason so Wise will have to show that he deserves some playing time. For the first time in a long time, the Patriots have a good amount of quality pass rushers.
Wise may not get a lot of playing time, but I hope he makes an impact while he is out there. It would be nice to see Wise get a sack and some tackles in the backfield.
Finally, Patriots fans will be able to watch an actual football game. It may not have any actual effects on the standings but it will play a major role in some players careers.
Are you ready for some football?